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Day 1 | Monday 3 December

1. Official Opening

The 12MSP was officially opened by outgoing President H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) was elected President of the 11MSP.

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2. Election of the President

Ambassador Matjaz Kovacic, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations in Geneva, was elected President of the 12MSP. Ambassador Kovacic delivered opening remarks.

3. Opening ceremony

Representative the host country and 12MSP Secretary-General, Ambassador Urs Schmid of Switzerland, presided over an opening ceremony which featured the statements delivered by the following:

  • Karl Erjavec, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia
  • Didier Burkhalter, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
  • Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, who delivered a message to the 12MSP from the UN Secretary General
  • Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
  • Jody Williams and Tun Channareth of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
  • Barbara Haering, President of the Foundation Council of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

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4. Adoption of the agenda

The States Parties adopted the agenda for the 12MSP.

5. Election of the Vice-Presidents

In keeping with past practice, those ten States Parties that have served over the past year as Co-Chairs of the Standing Committees were elected Vice-Presidents of the 12MSP, namely: Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Germany, Indonesia, Norway, Peru, Romania, Thailand and Zambia.

6. Confirmation of the Secretary-General

Ambassador Urs Schmid of Switzerland was confirmed as the Secretary-General of the 12MSP.

7. Organization of work

The States Parties adopted the programme of work for the 12MSP.

8. General exchange of views

The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: Mozambique, Algeria, Finland, Thailand, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Chile, Germany, Indonesia, Sudan, Zambia, South Sudan, the Philippines, Nigeria and Sudan.

The following State Party provided its general statement in written form: Panama.

The following States not party to the Convention delivered general statements: China, India, Morocco and Poland.

The following organizations delivered general statements: the European Union and the ICBL.

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9a. Presentation of requests submitted under Article 5

The 11MSP President presented his report on the Article 5 analysis process in 2012.

  • Report on the Article 5 analysis process in 2012  PDF 80KB

The following two States Parties presented requests for extensions of their Article 5 mine clearance deadlines: Afghanistan and Angola. The 11MSP President introduced the analyses that had been prepared with respect to these requests.

The following delegations shared views with respect to the request submitted by Afghanistan: Germany, Australia, the ICRC, the ICBL and the HALO Trust. The following delegations shared views with respect to the request submitted by Angola: Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Norway, Portugal, the ICRC and the ICBL.

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